"Hmph!" Ash ignored her. Sabrina puffed out her cheeks, snorted coldly, and then floated off toward the other side.
Ash, however, felt more relaxed than before. At least Sabrina now looked genuinely cute—closer to her real age.
After she left, Ash walked toward the guest room. Just as he was about to open the door, he heard the faint sound of crying from inside.
Before he could decide what to do, the door opened and Suzie stepped out alone. She gave Ash a gentle smile.
"Go see her, Cynthia is a good girl. But you need to give her time to adjust."
With that, Suzie walked away. Though she wasn't as mature as Cynthia, years of living independently had given her the temperament of a gentle older sister. Combined with her love of Pokémon, she had the air of someone who would one day make a caring wife and mother.
Encouraged by Suzie's words, Ash entered the room. Cynthia was sitting on the sofa, her face buried in her hands as she cried. Seeing her like this made Ash's chest tighten uncomfortably.
Hearing his footsteps, Cynthia looked up, then suddenly threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.
"Ash… I was wrong. Please don't leave me. I was really wrong!"
Since opening her heart to him, Cynthia realized she couldn't imagine a life without Ash. Though their age difference was large, the calm joy she felt when she was with him made her forget such things entirely.
"Don't cry. I was wrong too. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you," Ash whispered, gently patting her back.
Cynthia didn't answer. She only held him tighter, unwilling to let go. For the first time, Ash felt the warmth of being needed by someone he cared about deeply.
"Ash, I'll change. Just… give me some time," Cynthia sobbed after calming down. She had been thinking a lot in the past two hours.
Sabrina had been right—Ash only wanted to protect the people close to him. His methods might have seemed harsh, but his intentions were good. Cynthia hadn't understood that at first and had instinctively rejected it.
Ash didn't reply with words. Instead, he kissed her softly at the corner of her lips, then held her close.
After today's events, their bond grew stronger. The distance that had formed between them earlier had been erased in just a few hours—what started as something bad had turned into something good.
With the culprit behind the scenes exposed, there was no longer any need for Ash and the others to remain at the Laramie Ranch. Ash still had three Gym challenges left, and although time was on his side, he preferred to finish sooner rather than later.
"Hey, Sabrina, have you heard of Makoto Ito?" Ash asked idly along the way. Though he had little respect for Ito's actions, he thought it best to know as much as possible about him.
"How do you know about him? Ash, don't get me wrong—I have nothing to do with him!" Cynthia's nerves were still on edge after reconciling with Ash. His sudden mention of Ito made her instinctively defensive.
"Of course I know. That guy Ito was the one pulling strings behind the scenes. From what I heard, his target seems to be you," Ash explained casually. He wasn't particularly worried. Compared to him, Ito wasn't even worth considering.
"So it was him again… just like before. How despicable." Cynthia's expression turned cold as she recounted what she knew of Ito—it matched Ash's information almost perfectly.
"Isn't the Ito family from the Sinnoh region? Why are they meddling in Kanto?" Sabrina asked, clearly puzzled. The Oaks and the Itos belonged to entirely different regions and controlled separate resources. It shouldn't have been possible for them to interfere with each other so easily.
Ash shrugged. "Didn't I say already? The problem is that guy has his eyes on you, Cynthia. He finds it 'interesting.' I also heard he's here in Kanto to compete in the League. I don't know how strong he actually is, though."
This year's Kanto Conference had drawn nearly every new-generation prodigy from the eight great families.
So far, everyone had managed to earn a Silver Badge. Only Ash had obtained a genuine Gem Badge, something that made Professor Oak and Skye Draconis especially proud as they flaunted it before the other families.
"His strength is, at best, at the Elite level—he mostly relies on the Pokémon raised by his family," Cynthia said with disdain when the topic of Makoto Ito came up. "Among the new generation of our families, even the weakest should at least reach quasi-Champion strength."
"Elite, huh?" Ash muttered in disappointment. What he truly longed for was a worthy battle. Ever since his power had grown, he hadn't had the chance to fight at full strength.
Even though his Dragonite and Suicune were both Legendary-class Pokémon, Ash was reluctant to unleash their full might against ordinary opponents. More than anything, he was looking forward to the day Mewtwo revealed itself.
"Alright, we've arrived at the Safari Zone," Suzie announced, pointing ahead. "Here, you can freely capture wild Pokémon—but each trainer may only receive thirty Safari Balls."
As if on cue, a middle-aged man in his forties emerged to greet them. Dressed in a brown vest with pistols strapped to his hips, he looked every bit the image of an old Western cowboy.
"Welcome to the Safari Zone," he said firmly. "Each of you will be given thirty Safari Balls. With them, you may attempt to capture any Pokémon within this area."
This man was Caesar, the manager of the Safari Zone. It was his duty not only to explain the rules but also to handle any emergencies that might arise.
...
TN:
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